New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-02-23
HIGH LICENSE AND LABOR.

The workingmcn, the working people with
out distinction Of sex, ought to support tho
High License bill for they have moro to gain
from it than any other class 1t is in the quar-
tiers Of the city inhabited by them that the
saloons swarm the most thickly. 1t is not
however, As sometimes said. true that the poor
est ncighborhoods show the most saloons. That
would be impossible. But the working people
as a rule are not poor in the sense of Indulgence
The savings-banli statistics prove that when
ever they arc temperate they can and do save
money, and that largo percentage Of them
are sober and thrifty the great accumulatiohs
Of these banks demonstrate. The districts in
which there arc most saloons arc those where
most wagc-wor<crs live. The latter make morc
than enough for comfortable subsistence, and
If they do not in effect live comfortably it Is
because they spend too much Of their earnings
in the saloon. Danish thai destroyer Of civil
zation and the condition of labor would I'M
doubleday become infinitely better than it Is.
But to eliminate tho saloon before tho masses
have been educated up TO tho point VI rcnounc-
ing this dangerous form Of sclf-indulgence IA
impractcable in any ncat city. and all that
can he done is to restrain and diminish the cvi.
by high license
Any measure ' hicb will reduce the saloons
Of Ncw-l ork 20 per cent must be directly in
the interest Of temperance. To practical men
casting about for evidence safe 20 trust 10. the
attitude of the saloon-kecpcrc themselves ought
to be the most convincing demonstration Of
this The Prohibition organs assert that high
license neither lessons the number of saloons nor
the amount Of the drinking If that assertion
Z. IL,
would have no motive for opposing such lcgis-
lation. In such a case they could well afford,
even to support the proposition. seeing that il
would please the friends of Temperance and not
hurt themselves. But what is the fact All
the liquor dealers arc up in arms against high
license They arc holding meetings, passing
resolutions, making hostile speeches. sending
able counsel to represent them at Albany.
working in tho lobby bcstrring them
selves in every conceivable way TO
beat tho bill No sane thinker can believe
for a moment that they would take all this
trouble and 20 to all this expense if they did
not feel certain that high license would injuro
their business
The attitude Of the saloon itself is the only
trustworthy guide in the case. What the Pro-
hibitionists say is Of no consequence for they
have a PERSONAL selfish interest at stake, in
the first place and in the second place. they
arc so Obstinately welded to their ono -idcad
platform that they cannot be commonly just
to any measure less sweeping than that which
they advocate. But when we sec the liquor
sellers fighting the bill we may rest assured
that it is an effective one, and that it will do
what it is meant to do If the working men and
women want to help themselves in practical
way they will largely sign the petitions for
high license now being circulated through this
city. Tho reduction Of the saloons by one.
half, and the entire removal Of the worst class
Of them, would mean yearly saving Of much
money to labor, and speedy and permanent
improvement in its circumstances. II would
mean not only sober husbands, but sober wives
more meat on the table and better clothes Oh
the back children better nourishcd and taught
rooms better furnished cleanliness instead OF
dirt and disorder chccrfulncss and content in
the place of gloom and dissatisfaction. 1t
would bc convincing proof Of progress for
the working people 20 come forward for high
license They should reflect that TO support
the saloons is to assist their worst enemies and
TO vote The clothes of their backs and the food
out of their chidrens mouths. II il in their
interest especially that this bill is demanded,
and they ought 10 show that they understand
what so deeply concerns them by giving it their
cordial support.